Eleanor Parke Custis (artist)

Eleanor Parke Custis (1779-1852), also known as Nelly Custis Lewis, was an American socialite and amateur artist, granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington and step-granddaughter of George Washington. While not a professional artist, she is noted for her accomplishments in painting, drawing, and needlework. Custis resided at Mount Vernon and was raised by the Washingtons. Her artistic pursuits were encouraged within the household, and she created a number of works, particularly miniature portraits, landscapes, and decorative pieces. Her artwork offers insights into the domestic life and cultural aesthetics of the early American republic. While few works are definitively attributed solely to her due to the collaborative nature of artistic production within families and the limitations of documentation, some examples attributed to or associated with her can be found in the collections of Mount Vernon and other historical institutions. She married Lawrence Lewis, George Washington's nephew.